As the post-COVID world races to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals1, the spotlight is shining on non-food biomass. This green alternative promises cheaper, cleaner bioplastics, advanced biofuels and biofertilisers to replace fossil fuels.
However, unlocking this potential requires knowing biomass’s exact molecular and elemental makeup2. Traditional analysis is slow, costly and complex.
Now, scientists at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) are breaking these barriers. Equipped with a state-of-the-art SEM-EDX microscope, researchers can instantly map elements like carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in biomass. Their project, a protocol for Biomass characterisation through SEM-EDX (BiSEMiX), delivered a protocol to fast-track this sustainable manufacturing progress.
1. United Nations (2015). Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. [online] United Nations. (Accessed on 10 May 2023).
2. Biswas, B., Krishna, B. B., Kumar, M. K., Sukumaran, R. K. & Bhaskar, T. Chapter 7 – Biomass characterization. in Advanced Biofuel Technologies (eds. Tuli, D., Kasture, S. & Kuila, A.) 151–175 (Elsevier, 2022).
